The present invention relates to a document management system and more particularly to a graphical user interface method and apparatus for assisting a user with the tasks of organizing and distributing documents.
With the rapid development of storage system technology, the cost of storing an image of a sheet of paper on digital media has become less than the cost of printing and storing the sheet of paper itself. Digital document storage also facilitates later electronic search and retrieval and raises the possibility of automatic filing of documents.
Systematic digital document storage requires scanning documents to create digitized document images which can then be stored, distributed and retrieved by electronic means. Scanning occurs constantly in the networked office environment in the contexts of copying and faxing.
These processes traditionally have simple push-button interfaces that enable the user to do little more than initiate the cycle of the scanning mechanism. The user must then indicate to the system using operating system commands or iconic representations a choice of medium upon which the electronic image is to be stored. For example, the user may indicate that a scanner incorporate an electronic image onto a diskette in the diskette drive of a computer attached to the scanner. Similarly, facsimile equipment can be attached to a computer that can store electronic copies of documents processed through the facsimile machine.
The distribution of documents can be greatly enhanced by providing a direct link from the image acquisition mechanism, be it fax machine, copier or scanner to the end users in a networked office environment. In a commonly owned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/754,721, AUTOMATIC AND TRANSPARENT DOCUMENT ARCHIVING, now U.S Pat. No. 5,978,477 inventors Jonathon Hull et. al. describe a method for achieving exactly this result.
However, further gains may be realized by making document management systems even more user friendly. What is needed is a graphical user interface at the image acquisition point of a document management system that enhances the user""s ability to distribute electronic copies of document images processed by the system.
A graphical user interface that presents document destinations in terms of recipient objects readily familiar to the user is provided by the present invention. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a method for specifying delivery information for electronic documents can include the step of displaying a plurality of potential recipients to a user. Responsive to input from the user, the method can select at least one potential recipient from the plurality of potential recipients to form a plurality of selected recipients. The method then performs a scanning operation of a document to form an electronic copy of the document. The electronic copy of the document can be transmitted to the plurality of selected recipients. A step of incorporating the electronic copy of the document into a database belonging to each of the plurality of selected recipients is also included in the method.
Some embodiments can also include the step of sending a notification to the recipients to inform them that the document has been added to their database. This notification can be an email.
Numerous benefits are achieved by way of the present invention over conventional techniques. In some embodiments, the present invention is easier to use than conventional user interfaces. The present invention can provide a way to display a number of destinations for a plurality of documents to the user on a single screen. Some embodiments according to the invention are easier for new users to learn than known techniques. Because objects in the user interface are readily associated with persons familiar to the user, the learning time required by novice users is decreased and the user interface is more intuitive. These and other benefits are described throughout the present specification.
A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the inventions herein may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the attached drawings.